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Chuka Umunna: Black people need more than ‘lazy stereotypes’ on film and TV

Plea: Chuka Umunna

Published: 31 October 2013

Updated: 11:50, 31 October 2013

Films and television programmes are using “lazy stereotypes” in their portrayal of Britain’s black communities, a rising Labour MP said today.

Chuka Umunna said black people were shown as successful in fields such as sport and pop music, while ignoring success stories in business and the City.

“If young black people can’t see people who look like them editing our newspapers, sitting on the Supreme Court or running our great British companies, how can we give them the hope that if they work hard, they can make it too?” the shadow business secretary and Streatham MP said in a speech for Black History Month.

Mr Umunna, who some have tipped to become Britain’s first black prime minister, said role models were vital to inspire young people to succeed.

“One of the reasons is because our broadcast and film media have a tendency to stereotype black people: to present an image of black British people that suggests we can succeed in sport, entertainment and music, but not necessarily in other fields.

“If I am wrong about this, then why do so many black British actors have to leave the UK for the US to get decent film and television roles that fall outside the stereotypes?

“It’s often only after they’ve made it big in the States that black British actors get more — and more varied — roles here. That is unacceptable and has got to change. As a society, we cannot allow people to default to lazy stereotypes.”

Mr Umunna added that there was “a powerful desire” among all Britons for every individual to be allowed to rise to the top.

The former lawyer was speaking at the legal offices of his former firm, Herbert Smith, where he told an audience of black professionals: “There was a time when the number of black City professionals would barely have filled this room — when we all knew each other well because there were so few of us.”